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Archive for the ‘Mobility’ Category

Top 10 #CitrixSynergy sessions…watch them today!

Have a look at the 10 most popular Citrix synergy sessions! They are now uploaded and ready for you to see:

  • SYN501: Geek Speak Tonight! (Desktop Virtualization panel) & SYN501 (Mobility panel)
  • SYN415: Advanced best practices for migrating from Web Interface to StoreFront
  • SYN321: Next-generation desktop and app delivery with XenDesktop 7, Microsoft System Center 2012
  • SYN334: What’s new in XenDesktop and XenApp Platinum
  • SYN320: XenDesktop 7: what you should know about FlexCast management architecture and XenApp migration
  • SYN299: One Step Beyond – An audience with the Citrix CTO’s
  • SYN322: XenDesktop 7: reinventing HDX for mobile, 3D graphics and beyond
  • SYN222: Architecting a global XenApp farm with regional users using NetScaler and StoreFront
  • SYN404: Introducing the Citrix Diagnostic Toolkit
  • SYN206: What’s new in ShareFile Enterprise

Continue reading here!

//Richard

#Windows 8.1’s #BYOD enhancements ready for business adoption – via @kenhess

This is actually great news and a great article by Ken Hess! Microsoft is finally understanding the new BYOD use cases and scenarios! Interesting reading…

Summary: Microsoft understands, better than any other software company, that BYOD is actually a thing. It’s a thing to be dealt with at the source, which is exactly what they’re doing.

Everyone has weighed in on Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 update due at the end of the month, but few have highlighted the finer points of this significant update. Personally, I see Windows 8.1 as the new business operating system for desktop computing. Microsoft has listened to its critics and has made some super improvements on its much-beleagured new operating system.

Some of the more exciting improvements come in the form of BYOD enhancements. I believe that it is these features that will propel Windows 8.x onto corporate desktop systems and out of critical oblivion.

Excerpt from Stephen L. Rose’s Springboard Blog on Windows.com.

B.Y.O.D (Bring Your Own Device) Enhancements

  • Workplace Join – A Windows 8 PC was either domain joined or not. If it was a member of the domain, the user could access corporate resources (if permissioned) and IT could control the PC through group policy and other mechanisms. This feature allows a middle ground between all or nothing access, allowing a user to work on the device of their choice and still have access to corporate resources. With Workplace Join, IT administrators now have the ability to offer finer-grained control to corporate resources. If a user registers their device, IT can grant some access while still enforcing some governance parameters on the device to ensure the security of corporate assets.
  • Work Folders – Work Folders allows a user to sync data to their device from their user folder located in the corporation’s data center. Files created locally will sync back to the file server in the corporate environment. This syncing is natively integrated into the file system. Note, this all happens outside the firewall client sync support. Previously, Windows 8 devices needed to be domain joined (or required domain credentials) for access to file shares. Syncing could be done with 3rd party folder replication apps. With Work Folders, Users can keep local copies of their work files on their devices, with automatic synchronization to your data center, and for access from other devices. IT can enforce Dynamic Access Control policies on the Work Folder Sync Share (including automated Rights Management) and require Workplace Join to be in place.
  • Open MDM- While many organizations have investments with System Center and will continue to leverage these investments we also know that many organizations want to manage certain classes of devices, like tablets and BYOD devices, as mobile devices. With Windows 8.1, you can use an OMA-DM API agent to allow management of Windows 8.1 devices with mobile device management products, like Mobile Iron or Air Watch .
  • NFC tap-to-pair printing – Tap your Windows 8.1 device against an NFC-enabled printer and you’re all set to print without hunting on your network for the correct printer. You also don’t need to buy new printers to take advantage of this; you can simply put an NFC tag on your existing printers to enable this functionality.
  • Wi-Fi Direct printing – Connect to Wi-Fi Direct printers without adding additional drivers or software on your Windows 8.1 device, forming a peer-to-peer network between your device and any Wi-Fi enabled printer.
  • Native Miracast wireless display – Present your work wirelessly with no connection cords or dongles needed; just pair with project to a Miracast-enabled projector through Bluetooth or NFC and Miracast will use Wi-Fi to let you project wire-free.
  •  Mobile Device Management – When a user enrolls their device, they are joining the device to the Windows Intune management service. They get access to the Company Portal which provides a consistent experience for access to their applications, data and to manage their own devices. This allows a deeper management experience with existing tools like Windows Intune. IT administrators now have more comprehensive policy management for Windows RT devices, and can manage Windows 8.1 PCs as mobile devices without having to deploy a full management client.
  • Web Application Proxy – The Web Application Proxy is a new role service in the Windows Server Remote Access role. It provides the ability to publish access to corporate resources, and enforce multi-factor authentication as well as apply conditional access policies to verify both the user’s identity and the device they are using…

Continue reading here!

//Richard

Citrix Worx Apps announced! #CitrixSynergy, #BYOD

“Worx Enroll” and “Worx Home” apps announced to support the MDM, MAM, Web, Saas and Win apps/desktop (XA/XD) from ONE STORE!!

This is something that we all have been waiting for!! Finally a one-stop-shop/app in where an end user can use their personal devices and consume MAM, MIM and WaaS (Windows as a Service) deliverables without enrolling to a full MDM service. And those devices that are corporate assets enables you to do the same delivery and add the MDM capabilities needed (e.g: geofencing, pass code and other policies and asset mgmt) with the same end user UI!!!

I want to see this in action and get my hands on it NOW! 😉

//Richard

#BYOD: From optional to mandatory by 2017, says #Gartner

I agree with this great article and the analysis made by Gartner.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) has for some time been gaining traction in the workplace, as not only a way of freeing up IT costs but also liberalizing workers from being virtually chained, clunky, aging machines at their desks.

But latest research from Gartner suggests that by 2017, half of employers may impose a mandatory BYOD policy — requiring staffs to bring their own laptop, tablet and smartphone to work.

As an optional policy, workplaces still have an IT fallback option, but many are choosing to bring their own tablets and smartphones to work in order to work more effectively using the technology they feel more comfortable with.

Some interesting tidbits from the research:

  • 38 percent of companies expect to stop providing workplace devices to staff by 2016. (PCs, such as desktops and laptops, are included in the definition of BYOD.)
  • BYOD is most prevalent in midsize and larger enterprises, often generating between $500m-$5bn in revenue per year, with 2,500-5,000 employees on the roster.
  • BRIC nations, such as India, China, and Brazil, will most likely already be using a personal device — typically a “standard mobile phone” — at work.
  • Meanwhile, companies in the U.S. are more likely to allow BYOD than those in Europe (likely due to stronger data protection rules, see below).
  • Around half of all BYOD programs provide a partial reimbursement, while full reimbursement costs “will become rare.”
  • Gartner vice president David Willis says companies should “subsidize only the service plan on a smartphone.”

But there’s a problem within. Those who have yet to adopt a BYOD policy often generally cite one of two good reasons (or both): interoperability and…

Continue reading here!

//Richard

Enable Enterprise #Mobility and Secure Android, iOS and Windows Devices – #BYOD

This is a good blog post from Christopher Campbell that also has links to Citrix BYOD Solutions and Citrix BYOD Starter Kit

Lots of devices with many different operating systems. Lots of users bringing Android, iOS and Windows mobile devices into the workplace. Securing all these devices and the apps and data they’re accessing can make enabling Enterprise Mobility an intimidating task. Is it going to be BYOD, COPE, MDM, MAM, MIM or a combination? One size doesn’t fit all and addressing these challenges can be painful if you’re deploying a multiple vendor solution stack.

Some of the top mobile threats now include but are not limited to:

  1. Data loss from lost and stolen devices
  2. Information stealing mobile malware
  3. Vulnerabilities from device, OS and 3rd party apps
  4. Insecure Wi-Fi, network access and rogue access points
  5. Insufficient management tools and capabilities

Join Citrix Chief Security Strategist Kurt Roemer to find out how IT can maintain control and protect business information accessed from Android, iOS and Windows tablets and smartphones.

Watch Now and you will learn:

  • Security considerations and risk mitigation options when supporting BYOD
  • The architecture required to support tablets and smartphones accessing sensitive business information
  • How Citrix BYOD solutions enable secure access to enterprise desktops, apps and files from any device
  • Best practices for IT to maintain control over Android, Apple iOS and Windows tablets and smartphones used in the workplace

WATCH ON-DEMAND TODAY and learn how to make a complete end-to-end, fully integrated Enterprise Mobility solution work for the business, user and IT…

Continue reading here

//Richard

Latest Security Intelligence Report Shows 24 Percent of PCs are Unprotected

Interesting and scary facts from Microsoft… why not just add a simple cloud based solution like Webroot to your PC’s and Mac’s? Read more about Webroot that I think is a great product here from one of my earlier posts: 1st Test of Webroot SecureAnywhere – #Webroot, #SecureAnywhere, #BYOD

Today, Microsoft released new research as part of its Security Intelligence Report, volume 14, which takes a close look at the importance of running up-to-date antivirus software on your computer. The research showed that, on average, computers without antivirus software are 5.5 times more likely to be infected.

Antivirus software from Microsoft, McAfee, Symantec and others helps to guard against viruses, remove infections and protect your privacy. It can help protect your computer from malware trying to steal your credit card information, e-mail address book or even the files you’ve saved to your computer. It is one of the most crucial defenses computer users have to help protect against cybercriminals.

If you have been using computers as long as I have, long before almost every device was constantly connected to the Internet, you’ll recall the days when viruses were typically spread via sneaker-net, through infected floppy disks. Read more…

Report: Android malware doubled in 2012, infecting 33M devices

Malware attacks on devices running Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) open-source Android mobile operating system more than doubled in 2012, security solutions firm NQ Mobile reports.

NQ Mobile - Malware by Year
NQ Mobile saw a year-over-year increase of malware of 163 percent.

NQ Mobile discovered 65,227 new pieces of mobile malware in 2012 compared to 24,794 in 2011, a year-over-year increase of 163 percent. Among all new malware discovered last year, 94.8 percent of threats were designed to attack Android, compared to just 4 percent targeting rival open-source platform Symbian. In all, more than 32.8 million Android devices were infected in 2012, up from 10.8 million in 2011, representing an increase of more than 200 percent.

Chinese devices accounted for 25.5 percent of infected Android devices, followed by India (19.4 percent), Russia (17.9 percent), the United States (9.8 percent) and Saudi Arabia (9.6 percent). Fifty-three percent of U.S. Android owners have installed a mobile security app on their device, NQ Mobile adds.

Sixty-five percent of mobile malware discovered in 2012 falls into the category of Potentially Unwanted Programs–e.g., root exploits, spyware, pervasive adware and Trojans (surveillance hacks). Twenty-eight percent was designed to collect and profit from a user’s personal data, and 7 percent was built to prevent the user’s device from functioning properly.

The primary methods for delivering malware in 2012 included App Repackaging (adding lines of malicious code into a legitimate app and reloading it onto a third-party marketplace), Smishing (asking consumers to click on a fraudulent link, triggering a malicious app download or directing their browser to a rogue website) and Malicious URLs (redirecting the browser from genuine websites to clone sites intended to collect personal data).

Critics maintain Google has failed to sufficiently police its Google Play digital storefront, making it easy for attackers to distribute malware via Android applications. Google has made strides to reduce Android threats, however: In early 2012, it unveiled Bouncer, which scans Google Play for malicious apps, and its Android 4.2 OS update, a.k.a. Jelly Bean, bakes in application verification tools.

The NQ Mobile report…

Continue reading here!

//Richard

#HP Improves Enterprise #Mobility with Cloud-based Management Solution

Interesting…

PALO ALTO, Calif. — HP Enterprise Services today announced a cloud-based management solution that delivers secure anytime, anywhere access to applications and data from any mobile device.

HP Enterprise Cloud Services – Mobility meets the demands of balancing the responsibilities and requirements of IT with the challenges and expectations of users. This new cloud solution is part of the HP Converged Cloud portfolio, which provides enterprises with the essential foundation of technologies and services to confidently build, operate and consume IT services.  

The new solution provides fast and flexible deployment of tools and services for secure application access, file storage and sharing via multiple mobile platforms and all types of devices, including tablets and mobile phones. IT organizations are provided the tools to set appropriate security policies and the access controls to protect valuable corporate assets, applications and data.

The solution also allows users to download approved enterprise applications from a secure storefront, upload files to support collaboration and synchronize files between the HP cloud infrastructure and any mobile device. Mobile data is encrypted in transit and at rest, covering the device as well as the cloud infrastructure.

HP Enterprise Cloud Services – Mobility also provides the ability to configure cloud file storage that can scale up and down, and offers local storage options that address data sovereignty and compliance requirements.

“Mobility in the workplace continues to be a key focus and concern for IT executives,” said Pete Karolczak, senior vice president, HP Enterprise Services. “HP Enterprise Cloud Services – Mobility leverages HP’s strong cloud portfolio by providing clients with a mobility service that provides the highest level of user experience and productivity while minimizing risk for IT.”

HP Enterprise Cloud Services – Mobility integrates leading industry technologies, including solutions from Citrix and SAP, which are fully managed and maintained by HP to simplify deployment and ongoing operations.

Pricing and availability

HP Enterprise Cloud Services – Mobility is available globally with a set of service features and options priced and packaged to deliver…

Continue reading here!

//Richard

Do you develop your own mobile apps? – #Mobility

April 4, 2013 1 comment

Ok, this is a pretty hot topic! Mobility is here to stay for a while, everyone speaks about Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), MDM, MAM, MIM etc….

But how are business tackling this need to support business processes and functions for todays mobile workforce? And how do you out there build your mobile apps that are to support your users and business?

Do you outsource your app development, or do you do it in-house? Do you use any of the “cloud services” to build your apps like the following examples?

Snappii

ManMade

Here are some really interesting blog posts/articles on the subject!

THE BEST WAY TO DEVELOP MOBILE APPS? DON’T DEVELOP MOBILE APPS! – via Jeffrey Hammond

Mobile app dev: Outsource or in-house?

This is an interesting mobile world we live in, but how shall all business adopt to it the best way? 😉

Please share your view if you want!

//Richard

Google puts pressure on Microsoft, launches #Quickoffice for iPhone and Android

April 4, 2013 1 comment

This is interesting and Microsoft needs some competition for sure! Will have to test it and see how it works and how much of a real alternative to MS Office it is!

Computerworld – Google launched its Microsoft Office substitute, Quickoffice, for Apple’s iPhone, Android smartphones and Android tablets, fulfilling a promise made in December.

The release on Tuesday follows the launch of Quickoffice for Apple’s iPad late last year, when a Google executive said that iPhone and Android versions “are on the way.” The move was also preceded by a February announcement that Google was baking the Quickoffice technology into both its Chrome browser and Chrome OS.

Quickoffice for the iPhone

Quickoffice for the iPhone lets Google Apps for Business customers view, edit and create Word, PowerPoint and Excel (shown here) documents. (Image: Google.)

The search giant acquired Quickoffice in mid-2012 and rolled the firm’s development team into its Google Apps group. On the iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones and tablets, Quickoffice lets customers view, create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

The new iOS and Android apps are available free to paying customers of Google Apps for Business, a cloud-based suite that costs $50 per user for a one-year subscription.

Customers that don’t subscribe to Google Apps can buy stand-alone apps — Quickoffice Pro for iPhones and Android smartphones, Quickoffice Pro HD for iPads and Android tablets — for $15 and $20, respectively.

Google also boasted that the new apps, as well as the December iPad app, which was updated Tuesday, are now more tightly tied to Google Drive, the search company’s online storage service…

Continue reading here!

//Richard